Rama Duwaji, wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has come under scrutiny for a series of social media posts from her teenage and early adult years that reportedly glorified terrorists and criticized the U.S. military. The resurfaced posts, dating as far back as 2015, have sparked political backlash amid Mamdani’s mayoral tenure.
Resurfaced Posts Praise Noted Terror Figures
In September 2017, Duwaji posted a photo on her Tumblr account of Leila Khaled, a widely known figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) responsible for two plane hijackings in 1969 and 1970. The post’s caption read, “If it does good for my cause, I’ll be happy to accept death.”
Other posts from her early 20s reportedly included praise for Shadia Abu Ghazaleh, a terrorist involved in bombings against Israeli targets, and images of Palestinian demonstrators associated with the first Intifada. Duwaji also shared critical views of U.S. military actions abroad, including a July 2015 post labeling American soldiers as fighting imperialist wars and causing civilian casualties.
Controversy Around Recent Social Media Activity
Public attention increased after reports that Duwaji liked several posts critical of Israel following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths. These liked posts allegedly included a livestream of the attack and a February 2024 Instagram post questioning the accuracy of a New York Times investigation into sexual violence during the incident.
Duwaji, born in Houston and identifying as Syrian, married Mamdani in 2025. Mamdani’s office has been contacted for comment but had not responded as of publication.
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